Coupling for mining cars



Dec. 19 1922. 1,439,158

F. W. FRIES ET AL.

CouPLlNp FOR Mmmm Cms4 FILEn MAR. l. 1022.

` venton. q

' FRANK W. rnnsenntvrnnrnnt J. Ferns, or CARLINVILILE intrnors. d

' f coUrLINe'Fonie-,INING ones;

,Applieatoefnled Maren e,` 1922. serial-NQ.' 540,760.7@ V

.To all @07mm it may concerns" Be 1t known that lwe, Felini;v 'Wah-mns 'and WILLEM J. Fnns,citi.zens of Athe United States, residing at 'Garlinville Macoupin `County, lllin'ois, have invented. 'new and useful Couplings onMining Cars', of which d f y"arcuate, as clearlyshownin Fig,

the follown is a specification.;

This invention relates to coi-iplers for niining` cars.

"Ann" object Vof rthe invention toflprovide manyfo-f thexobjections orfdeiiciencies that are characteristic `of' the couplers 11n `general use in` con-nectlon with' miningcarsd l Another obj ect of the invention is, to pro-` vide an improved `coupler `designed and arf, ranged so that it `inaryl be easily operatedtof couple or@ unconple d, jhe L; 'cars irrespective of Whetherlthe cars `a're'jupon astralght for a for the purpose mentioned.'`

curved tra'clrltvhen the' coupler is operated 4Another `obj ect kof theinvention 4to pro-` viole an improved coupler Aforuse in connection lwith miningA cars thatis characterized b v proper elasticity needed in couplers of `thisltype; andthatis further characterized `bya capability ofr i free movement, `permiti ting; thecmrs-.tov make shzu'pjfturns without exertinginiproper strains Qupon the cars or xthecoupler. p 1

Numerous other objects [and l advantages of' the invention Will appear from the 4following description, reference rbeing- `made to the drawing, in` Which-f` y l 'u Fig. l `is a `'View showing-.our improved coupler in actual use, W being shmvn in s ectiongf x y d, v d ,y

Fig. 2 1s an inverted plannview of the coupler with parts brokenjaway.

Fig. Bis a detailed sectional kViewsllowjng certain ofthe improved, features of the in- In. the embodiment of `the invention shown', en archway support for: one` of the coupling members is [rigidly attaohed tothe under-structure: or `fiaine of thefoar to #which Said support rcorn-prises a casting l' .rigidly secured to `the the coupler is to be applied.

car frame yorj bodyby bolts Zand `provided with a pair ofspa-oed lar1-ges`f3 The spaced `flanges 3 curve and constitute a supporting track for the movable block orbody Il: which in cross-section is substantially -shaped,

` thereon toward 4"each sidewof the car.

lntegral connectlono unitesthe track flanges f f3 -at-one end,theoppo`s1te end of thetreclrf .or bodyis-fre'ely movable betweenthe abut-j block 9 and throueh a iban? and isy supported by tliesupporti ,block 4. Thefslot ll. 1s longe? certain ,of the parts` thereof ,engaging belowA the lianges "8,1' leavj `lng the lianges 3 extending between the`- 'upper and llower `flanges of said bodyoij block. Thetrack formed by the flanges?) is 60. and the ,supporting block or bodyll" isdniovable being` open to` `perrnit insertion and 'ivithdrawal of the block or body'fl, A removable vabutment 6 `which :may in the forni olE `a bolt, as shown, `is securedto the oppositeend of the' track `to prevent theY block "or bodvfl 70 from inovingo of the support. Saidbloclr .rnents and 16T v l .Y f'- wvardly sothatin crossesection said recess flll-"shaped` blocl`r9 seats=` Within" thelrecess Shaving its side Walls beveled tomatch the side Walls o-thelrecess, torminge, kind Af supporting pinlOvpasses throughflthe ameterfot'the pin *lOyso that tl bar is' capable ofvcertain' longitud'i nal? Inove-l n1ent'wh1ch Inovementisflnnlted `b v thefgo length of Asaid 4slot.` The inner `end of thekk K'bar 7, has a Weight l2 thereon `which iseu'lii.-

cient to uphold the outer-endetthe ,coupling bar. The outer endof the couplinglwelr coinprises a l1alf-ro1md extension {lf-, against 95 which a matching halfwrounkilfextens .Y j of the Vcoupling hook lits@ The outer-end o the extension 13 has a. Collard o rlfgid there-jk With While the inner endol" the' atc 1p; memberlt has zi/collarlrigidwlth. 100

strongcoiled spring` l? oliqthen expansionfy type. encirclesthe tvvo Inenbers/l?,A sind llljbetween the oollarsl and l'6. E

A; hook `Al8on the endothe hook;member has its outer edge inclined or sloping toward thefcar support which is part thezjcoup ling so` as to `provide an inclinedsurfacetoY.`

Ifacilitate' ,movement of this coupling` `inem#v` v The slot-ll in the coupling l bei: and to assure proper functioning thereof, automatically and as an incident to the movementv otone car` toward another.

vlAs shown,.tlie.cooperating coupling inein- :ber is supported by the .adjacent endoicltlie other 'car and comprises a4 downwardly and `inwardly inclined 'iange "19 'integral with tliebumper 20. The outer vsurfaceiol' theflange'l') is inclined .downwardly and in-v wardly sotliat when hitgbunips sagainst'the outer inclined surface of the hook` 18 the4 fhoolrf 4ivill be` lowered until ith-e flange 19 passes over. it after which .the :weight l2 Will j raise thehoolrfll behind the flange 19, thusy ...uniting g the coupling l members.l j' supporting the `coupling bar yis.equipped' The lcar y ivi-,th albumper 21 for obvious purposes. 1f

Fromfthe foregoing it '.Willbe seen that -thecoupleris:capable of iree .movement that it vwill function properly, 'irrespectiiie of the rcurvature l"o`i:`.the r.track up'on'wliich .inthe ycars operate; that is, .thelcoupler'tvill .function,perfectly/.uponpa straighttrack` or 4the, Acoupler; .'Thestrains V`are v.inateriajlly. at any time.`

i Thelinvention also comprises 'means for `releasing the coupler to detachl one car vfromanother In the yembodiment /of the invention shown the releasing ineans.fconiupon atraclr with sharp :curves with equal facility. It functionsl gpi'operly without lex-l erting strains upon the car structure or upon not Aincreased ,prisesr an,l arcuatebai-l 22 .extending vacross v'the "operating 'coupler member and ha-ving. Isupporting'- arms 23 mounted in" braclretsl at opposite sides ofthe` car.' 'The arms23 flare providedwwitli handles 25 whereby-.the

bail may be conveniently operatedrto release tlie'couplei'. A` SpringsQG connectthe arm-s 23 ivjthfxed parts ofthe carand support theA bail 22 so that normally it doesnot exert any'iveiglit or pressure against the coupler.

.In order toreleasethecouplerjit is'o'nly `necessary'to, operate the baildevice in o pposition tothe power of the spring-S426', andl i since. the handles rare located at the-'sides of the car it is 'unnecessary for the perso-ntoY pass het-Ween 'or to Vreaclibetuieeii the cars. Thus, Athe device-is' made perfectly safe and can b9 Opel'atd land used Ywithout?'$11,1137 daneeifwliatever, s ,Y y l y From the `foregoing itivill beseen that our invention obtains all oifits intended objects andlpurposes, is perfectlyy safefiiioperation,A and meets all 'of the requireinentsot safety tand utility. It is perfectly plain that Vtheiin- Y. `lvention 'in ay be varied injnumerous' partidiv`j lars'ivitliout departuretrom-the-nature and `principle thereof`V yiAccordingly, we` do not `restrict ourselves unessentially,} butjaivhat vive claim and.` desirefto.4 secure by Y v'lietters 1..A`co,upler for Vmining c"a-i.s,--v comprising a supportsecured to the underside oli-'the car, vainenliber mounted on'sai'dfsupport xtor lateral .sliding movements toward each side ot' the cai', a vertical pivot element .supe portedby said member, a block pivotally supported" by the lower end of the pivot membergrand a coupler devicev supported by said block. and capable of oscillationvertically relativethere'to.

.v 2; A coupler for mining cars, comprising a support secured to the underside of the y car, a member/.mounted on said support for lateral slidingniovements toward each side o the car, a vertical (pivot element*sup-` ported by-said member, a block lpivotally supported -by the lower end oftlie'pivot 1 `member Jfor =liorizontal turningfinoveinents,

a coupler device supported by said` block andf capable of oscillationV vertically relative thereto, and' means for coupler device.` Y, v y i 13'. A coupler formining cars, comprising oscillating I said zontal turning ymoi'temente,and' a coupler-device supported by saidfbloclr:andcapable of .oscillation `vertically relative f-tl`ie'reto.

" 4L. .A coupler orminingc'ars comprising a support secured toy tl1e`und`ers`1defof the car, an arcuate track in "connection-With said *support,famember mounted on said track forrv lateralfsliding` imovementstoward 'cach side of the car,v "a pivoteXtending down 'i'vardly troni said` member,` a bloclrpivotally vsupported by said pivot for horizontal turning -1novements, a coupler device supported bysaid block 'n'dcapable of oscillation ver# Vtically relative thereto, andfmanua'l means operable from thefside of the car latingftlie coupler device.Vv

for oscilf-5. A couplerfor mining cars, comprising i an arcuatey support secured tothe under side of the car, a member mounted on said supportfor lateral SlidingmOvements toward each .side of vthe carfa vertical'pivot "in yconnection With `said member, a block pivotally supported byv saidv pivot below said member for horizontal turning movements,

a bar having an elongated recess thereinreceiving v` said ymemberv and having a slot 'through which said `pivot extends permitting saidb'ar tofinove longitudinallyr` and to oscillate vertically relative to 'saidv meurber, afcoupling element, and an e'lasticroniiection. between said coul'i'lmgfl elementrv and said-bar. I l

`( A coupler for mining cars, comprising an arcuate support secured to the under side `of the car, a-"inemberl mounted on said support'for lateral slidingv movements toward each side of the car, a vertical pivotin' connection with saidfniem-ber, ablockpivotally supporteclby said pvot below snif] member for ,horizontal turning movements, a bar. .having an elongated recess therein recelvlng said member and having a slot through which said pivot extends permitting said. bar to move longltudlnally and t0 oseillate vertically relative to said member, `a coli-` pling element, an elastic connection between eounterbalancing said coupling element, and a deevceloperable from either scle of the car for imparting Vertical oscillating movei ments to said coupling element and said bnr.

i FRANK VQ FRIES.

WILLIAM J. FRIES. 

